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Jim Letourneau's Blog

Retired Life

Investing, Technology, Travel, Geology, Music, Golf. I think that covers it.

Calgary's Poet Laureate

Well loddy-freakin'-dah! We got ourselves a poet here!

I couldn't be happier to see Kris Demeanor become Calgary's Poet Laureate for the next two years. I had no clue what a poet laureate is so off to Wikpedia I went...

poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events.

What rhymes with Nenshi?

 

Kris put considerable effort into his application. His description of what he'd bring to the job is spot on.

It’s a Thursday evening civic event. There’s someone at the event who would rather not be there. She’s there because she should be there for work–it’s one of those obligatory things. And it’s been a long day, a long week, a long month. Next up– the Poet Laureate. Oh God, here we go. How long will this take? Unaware of the funding structure, she thinks ‘why are we spending money on this joker when I can’t even get the snow cleared off my street?’ But then Kris starts. And he’s funny and human and honest and understandable. And she recognizes a couple of the references–that flower shop on Edmonton Trail. The kinds of houses in Bankview. That crazy, warm January wind. And then a few feelings land in the middle of her chest, right where the tightness lives. And she recognizes herself. And she smiles.”

I'm looking forward to more smiles from Kris Demeanor. 

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